1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an apparatus for counting small articles, and more particularly, to an apparatus for counting small fragments of a fractured tempered glass article and recording or displaying a running tally of the fragments counted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of tempered glass articles, such as back lights and side lights used in the automotive industry, a tempered light is periodically selected from the production line and fractured to determine whether it is in compliance with a prescribed safety code such as "British Standard 857;1967-Specification for Safety Glass for Land Transport". This code specifies certain ranges for particle or fragmentation count in given size areas of the uniformly tempered fractured glass lights. For example, it sets the number of glass fragments or particles occurring in any two inch by two inch (5 cm.times.5 cm) square trace marked on a fractured specimen to be not less than 60 for a light of any given thickness. Heretofore, counting of the fragments was done visually and there was considerable opportunity for error as the number of fragments was mentally added by the person doing the counting. Accordingly, it is desirable to both keep a running tally of the number of fragments counted and identify the counted fragments, without relying on the exercise of human judgment.